Bridget Orchard (née Baxter)[1] is an American softball coach who is currently the head coach at Villanova.[2] From 1998 until 2001, she was the head coach at NCAA Division III Cabrini. From 2001 until 2018, she was the head coach at Fordham.[2][3]
Coaching career
Cabrini
After graduating from Villanova University in 1997, Orchard was hired by Cabrini University to serve as the school's softball coach.[3] Orchard immediately turned the program around, providing the school with its first ever winning season in 1998. The team would continue to improve their record each year in the four seasons under Orchard, ultimately winning four regular season titles and two conference tournament titles. The 2001 team set a record for most wins in a season in program history.[1][4]
At the end of the 2001 season, Orchard was named head coach at Fordham.[5]
Fordham
In a similar situation to what she had faced at Cabrini, Fordham had failed to achieve a single winning season prior to her hiring.[6] The 2002 season would prove to be Orchard's only losing season as coach at Fordham, turning the program into a dynasty in the Atlantic 10.[7] Under Orchard's watch, the program won five regular season titles, seven conference tournament championships, and appeared in the NCAA Division I softball tournament eight times.[8] In the 2010 and 2015 tournaments, Fordham advanced to the Regional Finals before being eliminated from the tournament, the best postseason performances in program history.[9]
On June 1, 2018, Orchard resigned from her position of head coach at Fordham.[10][11]
Villanova
On the same day of her resignation at Fordham, Orchard was hired at her alma mater, Villanova, as head coach.[12][13] In 2021, the Wildcats won the Big East Conference softball tournament for the first time in program history, defeating UConn in two straight games.[14] The team advanced to the NCAA Division I softball tournament for the first time in program history, managing to defeat UMBC before being eliminated from the tournament by Ole Miss.[15]
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrini Cavaliers (Colonial States Athletic Conference) (1998–2001) | ||||||||
| 1998 | Cabrini | 22–14–1 | 13–3 | 1st | ||||
| 1999 | Cabrini | 26–14–1 | 17–3 | 1st | ||||
| 2000 | Cabrini | 39–9 | 21–1 | 1st | NCAA DIII Tournament | |||
| 2001 | Cabrini | 42–5 | 21–1 | 1st | NCAA DIII Tournament | |||
| Cabrini: | 129–42–2 (.751) | 72–8 (.900) | ||||||
| Fordham Rams (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2002–2018) | ||||||||
| 2002 | Fordham | 14–43 | 3–18 | T–7th | ||||
| 2003 | Fordham | 37–19 | 10–6 | 4th | ||||
| 2004 | Fordham | 35–24–1 | 8–6 | 4th | ||||
| 2005 | Fordham | 38–16 | 15–1 | 1st | ||||
| 2006 | Fordham | 37–23 | 13–5 | 3rd | ||||
| 2007 | Fordham | 39–20 | 16–4 | 2nd | ||||
| 2008 | Fordham | 36–30 | 11–9 | 4th | ||||
| 2009 | Fordham | 37–22 | 13–7 | 4th | ||||
| 2010 | Fordham | 49–12 | 16–2 | 2nd | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2011 | Fordham | 42–18 | 16–4 | 1st | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2012 | Fordham | 32–26 | 14–6 | 2nd | ||||
| 2013 | Fordham | 36–23 | 15–7 | T–2nd | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2014 | Fordham | 36–20 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2015 | Fordham | 38–20 | 17–5 | 3rd | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2016 | Fordham | 39–21 | 18–4 | 1st | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2017 | Fordham | 46–17 | 18–5 | 1st | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2018 | Fordham | 33–23 | 18–4 | 2nd | NCAA Regionals | |||
| Fordham: | 624–377–1 (.623) | 234–96 (.709) | ||||||
| Villanova Wildcats (Big East Conference) (2019–present) | ||||||||
| 2019 | Villanova | 29–24 | 9–8 | 4th | ||||
| 2020 | Villanova | 14–13 | 0–0 | N/A | Season cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Villanova | 36–14 | 15–2 | 2nd | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2022 | Villanova | 32–24 | 16–7 | 3rd | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2023 | Villanova | 37–22 | 18–6 | T–2nd | ||||
| 2024 | Villanova | 33–24 | 19–5 | 1st | NCAA Regionals | |||
| 2025 | Villanova | 27–26–1 | 15–9 | T–3rd | ||||
| 2026 | Villanova | 0–0 | 0–0 | |||||
| Villanova: | 208–147–1 (.586) | 92–37 (.713) | ||||||
| Total: | 961–567–4 (.629) | |||||||
| National champion Postseason invitational champion Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion Conference tournament champion | ||||||||
References
- 1.[1.2]"Softball Year-By-Year Records". Cabrini University Athletics.
- 2.[2.2]"Bridget Orchard - Softball Coach". Villanova University.
- 3.[3.2]"Bridget Orchard (2013) - Hall of Fame". Cabrini University Athletics.
- 4."SB Record Book (PDF) - CSAC" (PDF). csacsports.com.
- 5."Bridget Orchard - Softball Coach". Fordham University Athletics.
- 6."Fordham softball record book - individual career records" (PDF). static.fordhamsports.com.
- 7.MOQUIN, PATRICK. "Fordham Softball Sweeps UMass to Begin A10 Conference Play".
- 8.Centorani, Rob. "College Softball: Villanova's Rauch, Orchard enjoy homecoming at BU". Press & Sun-Bulletin.
- 9.Raimondi, Marc (May 24, 2010). "City college softball teams have unprecedented success".
- 10."Orchard Resigns as Fordham Softball Head Coach". Fordham Newsroom. June 1, 2018.
- 11."Binghamton Alum Bridget Orchard Named Softball Head Coach At Villanova". www.wicz.com. June 2018.
- 12.Neel, Roger (June 6, 2018). "Bridget Baxter Orchard Named Villanova Head Softball Coach". WNBF News Radio 1290.
- 13."Villanova hires Bridget Orchard as head coach". June 1, 2018.
- 14."Softball Headed to Arizona, Will Play Ole Miss in First-Ever NCAA Tournament Game". Villanova University. May 16, 2021.
- 15."Villanova Wins A Thriller Over UMBC in NCAA Softball Tournament – Philly College Sports". phillycollegesports.com. May 23, 2021.